“Wade has been trying to wean her off that pacifier for the past year but it’s the only thing that keeps her calm so it’s beenreally tough.” My sister shares with Abby as she gives Lily an incredulous look.
Lily knows that look and peers up at her with puppy dog eyes then says, “mine.”
“That look right there, wins us over every time,” Rachel says as Abby giggles.
“I can understand why,” she agrees.
“There’s actually a story behind little miss Daisy here.” Abby shows Lily the doll and I recognize it as the same cabbage patch kid that I saw in the box she carried in when she arrived.
“A brave little girl gave this to me. She told me she was once lost at a fire station and Daisy was there when she got there.” My heart drops as Abby continues the story. “She said Daisy made her feel not so alone.” She hands Lily the doll and her eyes light up. A bright smile beams over her face and it’s contagious, going viral between all of us as we mirror her smile.
“The little girl and Daisy left the fire station and found a home with a nice family. They were the best of friends, but now that the little girl is all grown up she said she wanted to give it back to the fire station so Daisy could take care of another little girl. Maybe Daisy is here to help you.” Abby pulls the pacifier out of the doll's mouth and sets in on the table next to them. Lily mocks the movement by taking out hers and setting it next to the one on the table, but quickly puts the binky back in her mouth and does the same to the doll, then pulls it into her arms.
We all laugh at her possessive gesture over both the doll and the binky. The fact that she took it out and matched the movement was actually a huge step and tells me she completely understands.
I know what Abby is saying even though the story is modified for my three-year-old. It breaks my heart whenever I hear stories like that because there are so manywhat if’sthat could have happened to my daughter.
“Was that little girl a safe surrender?” my sister asks.
Abby turns to look at my sister and nods sadly.
“Just like Lily,” Rachel replies with an annoyed tone because she hated my ex and views her solely as an egg donor. Also, I need to remind my sister to tighten her non-existent filter later.
I glance over at Abby, her brows knit together as she glances back at me. A million questions running through those beautiful, rich brown eyes of hers.
“My ex, she dropped her off here, but she was too much of a coward to confront me and left her outside under the safe surrender sign.”
Her mouth opens but nothing comes out. She peers down at Lily then back up at me, a pissed off expression crosses her face before she covers it up and smiles.
“Well then, it’s perfect isn’t it? Daisy and Lily, two little beauties that can bloom together.” She taps Lily on the nose and they scrunch up their noses at the same time.
Well, fuck that’s adorable and suddenly all the anxiety from a few minutes ago is gone and replaced with a sense of happiness I can’t quite describe.
I run in a constant state of worry with too many demands and guilt, mostly from myself, that I’m not doing enough for her. Yet, I glance around the room at my sister who helps take care of her when I’m working. At Major, who treats her like a kid of his own, buying her more presents than I do, spoiling her to the ends of the Earth.
Then to Abby. Someone I hardly know, yet Lily’s already smitten with her as easily as we are.
Even Jasper, who hasn’t come into the room yet, is the literal definition of a ‘Funcle’ and Lily laughs every time he’s in the room. They’ve taken her, and me, in like family.
We are family.
And now I’m fucking pissed at myself for how I over-reacted with Jasper back in the room. Guilt blankets me as I glance over my shoulder looking for him but he’s nowhere to be seen.
“What are you wearing?” my sister asks with a tad too much judgment in her tone, as she places a small bowl of cheerios on the table next to Lily and walks toward me.
I glance down, inspecting myself and huff out an annoyed chuckle. Jasper didn’t even fucking say anything.
“Aren’t those Jasper’s clothes?” she adds, as Major and Abby turn to look in my direction in harmonious motion, chuckling as they take in my mismatched attire.
Mysweats I thought I put on are actually Jasper’s skinny joggers, if that’s even a thing. They fit far too snug around my tree trunks for legs and the shirt, well shit. I roll my eyes as I read the words,MOUNTAINS AREN’T FUNNY, THEY ARE HILL AREAS.
A vintage drawing of a mountain sits in the middle in between and it’s justsoJasper.
It’s also a size too small, which makes sense why I could hardly pull it over my head. I was just so flustered I wasn’t even thinking straight.
I’m still not thinking straight after everything that’s happened. And my sister, who has zero filter and suffers from verbal diarrhea disorder, can’t help herself.
“You look thoroughly,” she lowers her voice to a whisper so Lily doesn’t hear, “fucked.” She stops in front of me, brushing her fingers through my hair attempting to tame it, but then rubs her fingertips into my scalp messing it up even more. “Did you wrestle Jasper and lose?” She laughs as she pulls at the hem of the shirt that rests just above the waistband of these tiny joggers.
